Here sits one of the city's many architectural attractions: The James R. Thompson Center. It's the main state government building in Chicago, housing most of the state government agencies. The building also includes a large commercial area that features tons of shops and restaurants.Inside, you'll also find what's been dubbed one of the world's largest collections of contemporary artwork by Chicago natives. More than six hundred works of art make their permanent home at the James R. Thompson Center, ranging from photographs to oil paintings and wood sculptures.The best known work of art is a 26-foot-tall white sculpture with black stripes that stands in front of the building's main entrance. The sculpture, titled 'Monument with Standing Beast' was created in the late 20th century by French artist Jean Dubuffet.Completed in 1985, the James R. Thompson Center is a controversial work of contemporary architecture that has at the same time been lauded and heavily criticized. People either love or hate this building.The structure is a low-block design. The glass-enclosed steel structure, with a curving, sloping façade, boasts seventeen stories and two additional floors underground. The exposed steel is red and the cladding bright turquoise, making for a colorful sight.The most spectacular aspect of the building is its soaring cylindrical atrium which extends through the roof to a skylight. Glass elevator shafts project into the atrium as well and the view of the gigantic Concourse Level from the 72-foot-diameter open cut out of the lobby can be breathtakingPhoto Chicago (ILL) Downtown, James R. Thompson Center JRTC, 1985 by (vincent desjardins) is licensed under CC BY 2.0